A Pocket Guide

The Welsh Language

Janet Davies

Another title in the successful Pocket Guide series.

`. . . should be in the knapsack of everyone who comes to live in Wales . . . I found this an exciting book.' (Daily Post)

`For an understanding of this long and complex process I can think of no better introduction than The Welsh Language . . . This attractive little volume in the Pocket Guide series is full of facts and information about the language and is intended for all who have its interests at heart.' (Western Mail)

This accessible and comprehensive introduction traces the development of the Welsh language from its origins, which extend back at least 2,500 years within Britain, to the present day, when about half a million people speak Welsh.

In this updated version of her popular book, Janet Davies, who is a freelance researcher and writer, offers a broad historical survey, looking at Welsh-language culture from sixth-century heroic poetry to television and pop music in the late twentieth century. She considers the impact of industrialization, migration and rural depopulation over the last three centuries; the importance of educational and religious institutions; and the public status of the language from the Act of Union with England of 1536 to the enactment of the Welsh Language Act in 1993. The status of Welsh is compared with that of other minority languages throughout Europe, and a brief guide to pronunciation, dialect and grammar is also included.

'I can think of no better introduction than this well-written, well-presented book which manages to be succinct and comprehensive, balanced and yet committed to seeing Welsh - "a life-enhancing language" - not only surviving but flourishing once again.' Western Mail

'The most up-to-date history and assessment of Europe's oldest living language is packed full of readable information, together with plans and maps showing the demographic and geographic spread of Welsh over the ages.' The Rough Guide to Wales